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Quiet Chickens – What Breeds to Choose in the Suburbs

Quiet Chickens – Is that an option?

Are there quiet chickens that won’t disturb the neighbors? Many suburban and city neighborhoods have voted to allow residents to keep a few chickens in the backyard. This recent question was posed to me by a resident trying to get her town to allow chicken keeping. Generally speaking, I don’t find chickens noisy. Yes, roosters will crow, but most urban cities and suburban towns prohibit roosters, so that is not the concern. Hens will be more quiet than most dogs, as they go about their daily scratching and pecking.

The hen who is about to lay an egg or who has just accomplished her daily work, will cackle loudly. The hen is announcing her good deed for all to hear. But it isn’t as loud as a rooster and the cackle ends quickly. Other than that and an occasional tiff between two wannabe alpha hens, noise should not be a prohibiting factor.

Which Breeds are the Quiet Chickens?

Speckled Sussex

Even among hens, some breeds tend to be more settled and less flighty than other chicken breeds. When looking for quiet chickens the first breed often named is the Buff Orpington. Buff Orpingtons rate high on many of the factors people are looking for in backyard poultry. They are quiet, docile, friendly and fluffy birds. Orpingtons seek out their human caregivers by asking to be picked up with a submissive squat. They rarely become the mean girl in the bunch, and spend their days happily doing chicken stuff.

Other breeds often mentioned when seeking quiet chickens for the urban setting are Australorps, Wyandottes, Brahmas, Cochins, Barred Rock, Mottled Java (a breed currently on the Livestock Conservancy listing as in danger) Ameraucanas, and Rhode Island Red.

What is Normal Behavior Even for Quiet Chickens

In a flock without a rooster, it is common for one of the hens to assume the leadership of the flock. She will call the other chickens when treats are being given, or when danger is lurking. While not as loud and disturbing as a rooster crowing, the caution clucking is louder than normal activity clucking. This can be a warning to the chicken owner, as well, that something is wrong in the yard.

What Can You do To Keep Chickens Quiet?

Are there chicken keeping tricks that help keep the flock peaceful and quiet? Consider these ideas when planning your flock.

Partially covered run for shade and protection. If the chickens feel safe from aerial predators they won’t carry on as long with loud cackling. The shade protects them from hot summer days, giving them a place to rest with less risk of heat stroke.

Chicken toys. If you have an adventurous flock, perhaps a home made chicken swing will add to their entertainment. Or try hanging a cabbage on a string for their pecking amusement.

Dust bathing chickens seem very content. Give the flock an area that has a mixture of sand, wood ash, DE powder, and dry dirt. Toss in a few dried grubs to get the party started. After a snack and a good dusting, your chickens will feel like they spent the day at the spa. Totally zen!

Make sure the flock has the necessities of clean fresh water, chicken feed, and a place to shelter if the weather is bad, or uninvited predators arrive.

Talk to Chicken Keeping Friends

Talking chicken breeds with other chicken keepers is a great way to narrow down the quieter breeds for your flock. Another good resource for new or aspiring chicken owner is the local farm store where you might choose to purchase chicks. The staff or owner should be knowledgeable about which breeds would be a good choice for you.

If you’re looking for more opinions on which breeds of chickens will keep your peace loving neighbors happy, look to the comments. Originally written in 2015 and many readers have weighed in on their favorite breeds for quiet chickens.

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Comments

My buff always begged loudly to get out, so does my winedotte, and americuana. Maybe I’m just not as lucky but all my hens cackle in the morning to be let out to free-range and all day too. Spoiled? So I let them out so they are not loud even though they have a big run and coop, plenty of food and treats.

I’m very surprised to see Ameraucanas listed as being one of the quiet breeds. I have two of them and they are very, VERY loud with the chicken song after yang an egg! We never hear a peep out of the Rhode Island Red or the Barred Plymouth Rock. If we get busted by the home owners association it will be because of the Ameracaunas!

I am a suburban chicken keeper. Our hens only make noise for two reasons — the egg song and the alarm call. I had an Orpington who sounded like she was laughing when she announced her egg. My closest neighbor thought it was hilarious. One breed that is NOT quiet is the Delaware! They squawk for a good 30 minutes before laying an egg.

We have 8 girls–a Wyandotte, New Jersey Giant, Rhode Island Red, Barred Rock, 2 Americana’s, and 2 Naked Neck Turkin’s. They are all lovely! They are all quiet, too, except for the 2 Turkin’s. They NEVER shut up!! But fortunately that isn’t an issue for us, so we enjoy them just a well. They obviously have a lot to say! We love them all!! 🙂

I have a Barred Rock/Dominique hen that does this funny little half-crow in the morning, especially on summer mornings when it gets light early. It sounds like “cock-a” without the “doodle-doo” at the end.

Don’t believe for one minute though that the Ameraucana’s make the list of quiet chickens as they are listed here! The ones we have are very, VERY LOUD with the chicken song everyday!! And they go on and on and on!

My Buff, Barred Rock and Rhode Island Red are all pretty quiet. My Ameraucana talks a lot when I’m around the coop but other than that I don’t typically hear from them at all and I live on .18 acres in the city. My neighbors love watching the chickens from their second story window and have told me that they open up the window to say good morning to “the girls”. I am blessed with good neighbors. I had two Welsummers previous to this flock and they were much louder and wouldn’t go in the coop with my Buff and Ameraucana – so of course something had them for dinner. 🙁 I’m hoping to add a Speckled Sussex and a Wynadotte this spring!

Do not add a Speckled Sussex if you like quite. They have a hideous screetching sound they make when they want something. We have Golden Wyandotte, RIR, Easter Eggers, Black Star, and a Welsummer. The Welsummer and the 3 speckled Sussex’s are the worst. Much louder than the others.

Individuals do vary. I have speckled sussex and they are never loud or screechy. One is quite talkative but not in a loud way. She just follows me around clucking for treats. I have not had a Welsummer

I agree. we are not officially allowed to have chickens so we have been searching for the quiet ladies. I had 3 super sweet, beautiful speckled sussex hens but had to rehome them cuz they just had so much to say ALL day..

Hello! Did you ever find quiet ones to replace? I have black star ladies and the one laying the egg was ever so quiet…not a word, but the other one would holler at her the entire time. Very loud and for the best part of an hour. I used to get the lawn mower out to drown her out in the summer.

My light brahmas are my loudest birds, they sound like geese. It’s usually only when I go out to feed them. It’s like they are talking to me. My buffs are quite vocal too. Easter egger and white rock are quiet in my flock. Wyandottes are are on the top of the pecking order.

Of my 13 girls, my salmon faverolle is my loudest. She gas almost constantly. After her, my Lavender Orpington is next loudest. My Barred Rock, Welsummer, Comets, Cochin, and Columbian Wyandotte are my quietest. And we are DEFINITELY a suburban ‘farm’. The neighbors dogs are still far louder though.

My chickens (many different breeds, including Cream Legbars, Ameraucanas, wyandottes, RIR, and silkies) are only loud in the morning when it’s time to be let out and fed. As soon as the food is out, they are pretty quiet unless there is some sort of disruption.

We have 8 hens right now. Out of my mixed flock the noisiest would have to be the two Americaunas, they also get bullied more than the others. My quietest girl is my buff Orpington, she is by far the best in my flock. She’s gone broody a few times and happy to hatch whatever eggs I put under her. And I’ve seen her attack a snake and a mouse. Great mother and protector.

Interesting topic for comparisons! Over 5 years I had as few as 10 and up to 28 hens at a time (with roosters), and I had purebreds and mutts. When I had 10, they were all purebred Cochins (with a rooster). In that 5 years, there were about 3 times that I bore witness to what could only be called a ‘cacaphony’. I don’t know who started it or why, but one hen would wtart gawking as if sh’e laid, but within moments, every OTHER bird in there (mostly) seemed to be doing it too! It was a RIOT! (pun intended) and as amusing as it was deafening! It could go on for what seemed like 10 or 20 minutes before settling down.
So be aware, hens might have a message that they insist on sharing, and the others then insist on reiterating. It might be triggered by egg-laying, OR NOT.
As for the “I’ve laid an egg”, EE’s were the quietest, but there were a few birds that were born flighty and were always quiet. It’s my observation that it may have something to do with the pecking order of the flock, and/or how shy individual birds are. It’s a feeling, more of an opinion based on what I observed – that if all the birds were chicks together (such as a first flock might be), then they seem less likely to be shy or have any that are excluded from ‘the right to yell’ about her accomplishments. And flighty/shy breeds and mutts seem logically more likely to ‘keep it on the downlow’ than the larger or more ‘my business is laying’ breeds.
Maybe it’s all just how often we’re in the vicinity to hear and observe their raucous behaviors.

My barred rock and Rhode Island reds a pretty quiet. Even my little silkie rooster is fairly quiet. Oddly, the loudmouth in my flock is my very tiny silkie, Pee-wee. She is very small, even for a silkie but she is very loud and bossy 😉

Yup! It’s usually a roo who gets the group going! (And usually for nothing) but one starts and they all join in! A cacophony of loud “Hollering” for nothing! Once I’ve had enough! I will watch to see who is leading the chorus! It’s usually Chester (a little Serama Rooster with a big ego) he struts around like a cheerleader encouraging the flock to join in….the other culprit is usually an old Dominic hen she will start slowly…..and build up to full volume prompting others to join in….as she stands on the top of the porch to the coop door! If you make a grab at her, she will increase the volume! So I run her into the coop. And grab Chester….if Gently grab his head in my hand….he’s little! Really little! my hand over this head and a few quiet admonitions to shut up! Chester! Will usually shut down the cackle festival! The other trouble maker is a cream Legbar mix….BoYo” he will sit in the coop and start up a ruckus! I have actually gotten so fed up with his antics….I’ve crept up on him while he is proudly getting into his “Song”….and grabbed him by the neck! Gently! And hold on while I explain his options….shut up or go to freezer camp…. I give him a few minutes to mull over the choices….and then let him go. Still seated in the coop. He keeps his beak shut for the remainder of the evening.

I sadly just re-homed my favorite hen, a Barred Rock. She was so incredibly loud that I was stressed out and worried that the neighbors were going to get upset. Hopefully my remaining girls, a Buff Orpington and another BR will not take up where she left off. I believe I will try Australorps and another Orpington next go around.

I had a big flock previously with lots if space, but since have moved to a tighter neighborhood and just have 3 girls. One Buff from my old flock that will be with me til her dying day who is is the sweetest, quietest chicken ever. My younger black sex link can be vocal but an endearing warbling. My 2 year old Buff however is another story. Definitely the top dog of this group and horribly noisy with a screeching babble that goes on and on and on. I have just found a new home for her and am planning to replace her with a barred rock. Wish me luck.

I live in a typical suburban neighborhood. Residents are allowed to only have hens and they must be a minimum distance from the property line. Our new neighbors have such a small yard that they could not meet that minimum distance from the proper line requirement. So, they asked us if we would give them permission to violate that rule. Since they wanted to put the coop right under our bedroom window, we told them, “No.” They explained that they would be getting a “quiet” breed of chickens so the noise shouldn’t be a problem. We still said, “No.” The neighbors on the other side agreed to allow the coop near their house since it would be next to their garage. Far away from their bedroom window. “Quiet” chickens were purchased and have been receiving excellent care, however, I now hear chickens every day. Since they are not under my bedroom window, they don’t bother me at all. Their little clucks are kind of cute. Still, they are far from “QUIET”. The only “quiet” chicken is the one in your freezer. ALL living chickens are going to make some noise.

We have three ladies in a neighborhood, our loudest lady is out Cinnamon Queen, she can’t be alone and if any of the other girls get too far she squalks away! Haha she likes to fuss too, just randomly at anyone who is in the yard. Our Barred Rock isn’t too noisy but she likes to talk too. The quietest and the sweetest is our Speckled sussex, she’s by far my fav.

My Welsummer has the longest and loudest Egg Song. She screeches for 2-3 hours. Every other hen is quiet compared to her! I love her dearly and she’s so sweet, but DANG, it’s like a brutal Manson murder is taking place every afternoon in the coop when she goes to lay an egg.

I totally agree, Orpingtons are pretty quiet and would be a good layer to have in the suburbs. I have several other breeds and some of them are just ridiculous with amount of noise they make! They constantly sing the egg song, or the she’s in my nesting box song. Some of these girls are full of drama!

I truly loved reading this article. I am in the process of searching for a breed to purchase for a gift for a friends housewarming but I truly don’t want to buy something to disturb neighbors. This has been truly helpful. Purchased Buff Orpingtons & Columbian Wyandotte.

Hi, I'm Janet. Thanks for stopping by.

Timber Creek Farm is our family farm and we share our stories and information with you through the blog. I am the writer and animal wrangler here. In addition to writing the blog posts, I manage the online shop, seek out new products to add to our Free Range Yarn lineup, and write books and magazine articles.

My background of a degree in large animal farm management and animal science from the University of Maryland, has helped me focus my energy toward helping others learn to raise livestock, chickens, ducks, rabbits, and small farm management. My love for sustainable living gives me purpose in life.